FN Dish

The Chocolate Mustache Disappears

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Chocolate Milk

Photo by: Feng Yu

Feng Yu

The Milk Processor Education Program (MPEP) has wiped away chocolate mustaches from its long-existing ad campaigns,
USA Today reports. Soon the popular “Got Milk?” slogan will be reinvented to attract a different breed of Nesquik drinkers: athletes.

The new tag line, “My After,” presents chocolate milk as
the post-workout solution. NBA star Carmelo Anthony and Olympian Dara Torres have hopped on board and are testifying to the drink’s greatness. Gulping it down after exercise, they claim, is nourishing to the body.

But with the chocolatey beverage now being
banned in schools across the country, is it actually good for you? Nutrition and fitness experts are divided. Some say the idea is a marketing ploy to boost faltering sales. Supporters state that the protein content helps muscles recover after exercise.

In a study published by the
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal
, three universities found that runners who drank fat-free chocolate milk following a difficult run went 23% longer in later workouts compared to those who drank carbohydrate-only sports drinks. While this sounds promising, skeptics argue the same boost can be provided by a healthy snack.